18 December 2013

Coe weeps for the fidelity of the Capital Metro tender process

| johnboy
Join the conversation
22

The Liberals’ Alistair Coe is vigorously waving his rules of order over the tendering processes for Capital Metro:

The Capital Metro light rail agency has awarded more than $600,000 to a consulting company without testing the market according to freedom of information documents, Shadow Minister for Transport Alistair Coe said today.

“In addition to the poor process in awarding the contract, the company which undertook ‘governance advice’ commenced work three months before a contract was in place,” Mr Coe said.

“It seems quite hypocritical that a firm engaged for ‘governance advice’ would be engaged without fair tendering and proper processes in place.

“For consultants to be sitting-in on light rail board meetings without contracts in place shows the disrespect and over-confidence the government has for this project.

“The government’s decisions regarding the choice of rail over buses, the route and now the awarding of contracts have been sub-
standard.

“If this is how the light rail project is going to start, imagine how it is going to finish?” Mr Coe concluded.

He’d be a little more convincing if we could realistically believe he had the best interests of the project at heart.

Join the conversation

22
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

On ABC2 last night comedian Michael McIntyre talked about the fiasco of the Edinburgh Tram forced upon citizens who didn’t want it. Despite having to halve the original route the cost blowout has gone from the budgeted £350 million to over a £ billion.

wildturkeycanoe11:54 pm 19 Dec 13

So, as I read this I take it to mean the following-
The government has got a consultant on the board that designs the new system
This consultant does not have anything in writing to say they will be doing the work, yet gets $600k.
The consultant somehow “wins” the contract because nobody else was considered???

This website – http://www.capitalmetro.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/530878/131210-media-release-technical-advisor-process.pdf apparently shows they only just started looking for consultants, so who actually won it then?

Where are the facts to back up these allegations?

CraigT said :

Anybody who has worked in the Federal public service but not the ACT public service would be absolutely flabbergasted at the ACT public service’s dysfunction.

So true. The ACT public service does this all the time – gives someone a job, realises they need a tender process, does it, and then, surprise, surprise, the person who has nearly finishes the job wins the tender.

At least they have wised up to the need for a tender before starting the job.

Bosworth said :

milkman said :

johnboy said :

I love the Liberals thinking I’m picking on them. Might notice I give a fair bit of stick all around.

The stick is not exactly evenly applied…

If the Republicans do 14 crazy things this week, and the Democrats do one, should I invent 13 things to criticise the Democrats for?

Yes, komrade…

If the government employed the six P’s principle (Prior planning prevents piss poor performance), there could be a double celebration on opening day of the first gay weddings on the first ever revenue run of light rail.
Skywhale lactating overhead would be an added bonus…

gospeedygo said :

maxblues said :

Many rail services in Melbourne have been cancelled today and most others have to travel at half speed because of the heat expanding the tracks. Another reason why light rail is not the mass transit solution for Canberra.

Nope. The Melbourne rail infrastructure is to transport as aging, patched up copper cable is to the NBN. If you build it properly, it won’t be a problem.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/why-our-rails-cant-cope-with-the-heat-20131218-2zl3t.html

Hilarious (2009) photo of rail workers using a garden hose to attempt to ‘unbuckle’ the tracks.

maxblues said :

Many rail services in Melbourne have been cancelled today and most others have to travel at half speed because of the heat expanding the tracks. Another reason why light rail is not the mass transit solution for Canberra.

Nope. The Melbourne rail infrastructure is to transport as aging, patched up copper cable is to the NBN. If you build it properly, it won’t be a problem.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/why-our-rails-cant-cope-with-the-heat-20131218-2zl3t.html

milkman said :

johnboy said :

I love the Liberals thinking I’m picking on them. Might notice I give a fair bit of stick all around.

The stick is not exactly evenly applied…

“Reality has a well-known liberal bias.”

Is this why my rates went up?

milkman said :

johnboy said :

I love the Liberals thinking I’m picking on them. Might notice I give a fair bit of stick all around.

The stick is not exactly evenly applied…

If the Republicans do 14 crazy things this week, and the Democrats do one, should I invent 13 things to criticise the Democrats for?

magiccar9 said :

[Assuming this is correct] Does it really surprise anyone? We’re going to get this rubbish light rail thing regardless of whether it’s feasible or not. The Government hedged all their bets on it during the election, touting what a grand system it would be to – essentially – buy votes. Now we just have to sit back and watch as it all falls to sh*t, just like everything else the Government attempts here.
.

I’m not sure that’s the case. The Labor party seem to recognise that it would be an extremely expensive white elephant and are doing their best to delay building it.

Many rail services in Melbourne have been cancelled today and most others have to travel at half speed because of the heat expanding the tracks. Another reason why light rail is not the mass transit solution for Canberra.

[Assuming this is correct] Does it really surprise anyone? We’re going to get this rubbish light rail thing regardless of whether it’s feasible or not. The Government hedged all their bets on it during the election, touting what a grand system it would be to – essentially – buy votes. Now we just have to sit back and watch as it all falls to sh*t, just like everything else the Government attempts here.

Labor, Liberal, or whatever lies in-between, they’re all as bad as each other, and until we cut the grooming system of progression we won’t have any decent ACT Public servants representing us. They all just continue to pass down their habits to those who will follow in their footsteps, and the ‘errors’ will continue to happen.

HiddenDragon10:55 am 19 Dec 13

It’s only hundred of millions (at least) of public funds, so who cares about probity and due process and dreary tedious stuff like that – let’s just follow the tried and true method:

1. Wait for the inevitable stuff-ups to occur

2. Have an “inquiry”

3. Find that no one of any consequence did anything wrong or that they could possibly have known was unwise (inquiry findings to be released late on the afternoon of the day before a long weekend)

4. Promise to learn from the experience

5. Assure the punters that “we are working to ensure….” (insert description of desirable state of affairs)

6. See 1. above

johnboy said :

I love the Liberals thinking I’m picking on them. Might notice I give a fair bit of stick all around.

The stick is not exactly evenly applied…

CraigT said :

It is bloated. It does so little work. It employs so many consultants and contractors to do that very little work. It is rife with corruption, and this goes all the way up to the elected officials who are responsible for making decisions involving supposed tendering processes.

Where is Revolve, for example? What replaced Revolve? What happened to that replacement? Who was responsible? In China, certain familes would most definitely have received an ammunition bill as a result of the Revolve corruption. Here? Nothing.

Shhh. Don’t mention Revolve… some ACT public servants get bowel troubles any time the subject comes up because they know there was corruption from senior staff in the tendering process.

CraigT said :

Where is Revolve, for example? What replaced Revolve? What happened to that replacement? Who was responsible? In China, certain familes would most definitely have received an ammunition bill as a result of the Revolve corruption. Here? Nothing.

e.

LOL Revolve + corrupt is all true, possibly not the way you are implying though

Anyone want to hear a joke?

White elephant on wheels.

johnboy said :

I love the Liberals thinking I’m picking on them. Might notice I give a fair bit of stick all around.

One day a Tory, the next a left-wing lickspittle.

I wouldn’t do your job for quids. Now I feel like bursting into song from Oliver!…

‘Food, glorious food.’ Is that even remotely appropriate?

Is there any Liberal politician that you don’t have contempt for Johnboy? Talk about a Canberra stereotype.

I love the Liberals thinking I’m picking on them. Might notice I give a fair bit of stick all around.

Anybody who has worked in the Federal public service but not the ACT public service would be absolutely flabbergasted at the ACT public service’s dysfunction.

It is bloated. It does so little work. It employs so many consultants and contractors to do that very little work. It is rife with corruption, and this goes all the way up to the elected officials who are responsible for making decisions involving supposed tendering processes.

Where is Revolve, for example? What replaced Revolve? What happened to that replacement? Who was responsible? In China, certain familes would most definitely have received an ammunition bill as a result of the Revolve corruption. Here? Nothing.

Similar with that car leasing corruption – was it “Rhodium”? In CHina, several of those complete $#@%wits would have been shot out of hand for their part in that shenanigans. Here? Still all on the public tit with non-productive made-up jobs. They don’t even deserve the dole. Dysfunctional and useless, like most of the rest of the ACT public service.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.